Bears Equipment Manager Reportedly In Charge of Super Bowl Footballs

Published Jan 22, 2015 at 5:58 PM

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With concerns over the “Deflategate” controversy making headlines ahead of Super Bowl XLIX, it appears the fate of footballs for the highly anticipated game will be left in the hands of the Chicago Bears equipment manager.

Tony Medlin was picked to secure the game balls for next weekend’s game, according to Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com. Ball boys were reportedly hired before last week's game.

"Like many aspects of our policies and procedures, there are modifications for the Super Bowl,” NFL spokesman Michael Signora told Seifert in a statement. "At the Super Bowl, the equipment manager of another team [Bears, Tony Medlin] is in charge of the game balls and arranging for the ball attendant crews, which are hired before the Super Bowl teams are determined. The officials will maintain strict control of the game balls for the Super Bowl.”

"Many aspects of the regular-season process are in place. The Super Bowl teams receive balls to work with during practice as per our policies,” the statement read. “The balls are then returned to the league late next week. We would expect that the Competition Committee will review all of these procedures in the offseason."

Softer balls are generally considered easier to throw and catch, and quarterbacks, specialists and equipment managers are known to have very individualized preferences in how footballs are readied for games, The Associated Press reported.